Methods and machines for the manufacture of cigars



United States Patent [72] Inventor Martinus Verbakel Eindhoven,Netherlands [21] Appl. No. 726,746 [22] Filed May 6, 1968 [45] PatentedSept. 1, 1970 73] Assignee Patent Machine Bouw N.V.

Kanaaldijk, Best, Netherlands a corporation of the Netherlands [32]Priority May 11, 1967 [3 3] Netherlands [31 No. 6,706,579

[54] METHODS AND MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARS 3 Claims, 7Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 131/20, 131/15,l31/64, 131/69 [51 Int. Cl A24c l/02, A24c1/30. A24c 3/00 [50] Field of Search 131/20, 20A, 15, 69

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,952,559 3/1934 Miller131/69 2,669,996 2/1954 Berriman 131/20 2,866,465 12/1958 Bunzl et al.l3 l/69X 3,410,278 11/1968 Verbakel l3 l/2()(A)UX FOREIGN PATENTS961,362 6/1964 Great Britain l3 1/20(A)UX 1,021,039 2/1966 Great Britainl3l/20(A)UX Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner-James H.Czerwonky Attorney-Imirie, Smiley, Snyder & Butrum ABSTRACT: First andsecond supply means are provided for feeding lengths of binder striptobacco and wrapper strip tobacco. Conveyor means simultaneouslytransports the strips in flat-wise superimposed relationship. Guidemeans is provided for adjusting the lateral overlap of each of thestrips with respect to one another. The guide means are adjustablymounted for movement in the direction of the width of each strip. Firstglueing means is provided for glueing the strips together along theinterface thereof. Means is provided for depositing plugs of scraptobacco on the binder strip and means is provided for simultaneouslywrapping the superimposed strips transversely around such plugs tooverlap opposite marginal edges of the strips. Second glueing means isprovided for glueing an overlapping marginal zone of the wrapper stripto the overlap marginal zone of one of the wrapped strips to form asubstantially cylindrical rod oftobac- 00 product. Means is provided forthen cutting this product into predetermined lengths.

. Patented Sept. 1,1970

INVENTOR VE R B A KE' L MARTi Nus ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 19703,526,231

Sheet 2 of 2 F K52 FIGA i 24 @E'K 22\ "-2s INVENY 'OR MA RTINUS VERBAKELATTORNEYS METHODS AND MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARS Theinvention relates to a method to manufacture cigars in which first acylindrical rod of unlimited length consisting of a filler ofscrap-tobacco, a binder strip of sheet material extending in thelongitudinal direction of said rod and bent transversely round saidfiller of scrap-tobacco and a wrapper strip of sheet materialsurrounding said binder strip of sheet material is produced by acomposite rod producing machine, the double envelope of said rod beingkept in shape by glue, and thereupon pieces of a given length arecut-off from said rod.

A composite rod producing machine, in which the said method is used, isdisclosed in the German Utility Model 1,927,143. In this machine first arod consisting of a filler of scrap-tobacco and a binder strip of sheetmaterial extending in the'longitudinal direction of the rod and benttransversely round said filler of scrap-tobacco is produced. Thereupon awrapper strip of sheet material is wound helically round said rod andfixed by glue throughout its entire length in a narrow marginal zone ina second part of this machine. This machine is actually a doublemachine. It is complicated and it has the additional disadvantage thatthe device for applying the wrapper must be dismantled when a new reelwith wrapper sheet material has to be put therein. Moreover thedisadvantage is encountered, that in the places, where the helicaloverlapping of the wrapper crosses the overlapping of the binderextending in the longitudinal direction of the rod, local thickeningsare produced.

The invention has for its object to provide a method for the manufactureof cigars having a binder and a wrapper with the rod producing processwhich can be carried out by a much simpler machine. It consists in thatthe wrapper strip of wrapper sheet material is fed into the rodproducing machine together with and lying under the binder strip ofsheetmaterial and the two strips of sheet material are simultaneously benttransversely round the filler of scrap-tobacco. in order to carry outthis method the known rod producing machines for the manufacture ofcigar bunches or mono-leaf-cigars, consisting of scrap tobacco and asingle leaf need only be amplified with a simple addition which isadapted to feed the wrapper strip together with the binder strip intothe machine.

Feeding the binder strip and the wrapper strip together into the machinecan be carried out in different ways. It must be avoided that too manylayers of sheet material come to lie on each other, which could make theshaping of the tapered ends of the cigars difficult, a method may beused, in which for the binder a strip having a width equal to thecircumference of the maximum cross sectional area of the rod ofscrap-tobacco is used and for the wrapper a strip having such a width asto guarantee that marginal zones thereof overlap each other after thebending process is used and in which at least the overlapping marginalzones of the wrapper strip are glued together. In that case at the mostthree layers of sheet material come to lie on each other and only thewrapper has to be provided with glue.

Zones having more than two layers of sheet material can be avoidedentirely, when for the binder a strip having a width equal to thecircumference of the maximum cross sectional area of the rod ofscrap-tobacco is used and for the wrapper a strip having a width equalto the circumference of the maximum cross sectional area of the rod ofscrap-tobacco surrounded by the binder strip is used, and furthermorewhen the two strips of sheet material are fed into the rod producingmachine in a transverse offset relation and the wrapper strip is gluedwith narrow zones adjacent its longitudinal edges to the binder strip.This object can also be realized, when for the binder a strip having awidth which is a marginal zone of given width smaller than thecircumference of the maximum cross sectional area of the rod ofscrap-tobacco is used and for the wrapper a strip having such a width asto guarantee that marginal zones thereof having a width, which is at themost equal to that of the missing marginal zone of the binder strip,overlap'each other after the bending process is used and furthermorewhen the two strips are fed into the rod producing machine with theirlongitudinal axes coinciding with each other and the overlappingmarginal zones of the wrapper strip are glued together.

In order to prevent with certainty that the binder strip and the wrapperstrip are transversely shifted in respect of one another during thetreatment in the rod producing machine these strips may be locally gluedtogether before they are fed into the rod producing machine.

For carrying out the method according to the invention a rod producingmachine may be used which comprises, as is known per se, a scrap-tobaccofeeding device, an endless conveying belt for moving a strip of bindersheet material of unlimited length in its longitudinal direction and forthe further transport of said strip together with the scrap-tobaccodeposited thereon by said scrap-tobacco feeding device, means forbending said binder strip transversely round said scrap-tobacco, meansfor the supply and the provision of a strip of wrapper sheet material ofunlimited length surrounding the scrap-tobacco and the binder strip,means for glueing the sheet material formed as an envelope andsurrounding the scrap-tobacco to keep the formed cylindrical rod ofunlimited length consisting of a filler of scrap-tobacco, a binder and awrapper closed and a cutting device for cutting-off pieces of a lengthsuitable for the cigars to be manufactured from said rod, but in which,in accordance with the invention, the means.

for the supply of the wrapper strip are constructed and arranged forfeeding the wrapper strip longitudinally together with the binder stripand lying between the binder strip and the conveying belt into themachine and the means for bending the binder strip transversely roundthe scrap-tobacco are also used to bend the wrapper strip transverselyround thescraptobacco and the binder strip. By the addition of a specialholder for a reel carrying the stock of wrapper strip and by usingsimple guiding members for the supply of the wrapper strip the rodproducing machines which are already in use for the manufacture of cigarbunches can be so modified in a simple manner as to manufacture cigarsprovided with a binderand a wrapper.

Since it has to be possible to lay the binder strip and the wrapper.strip on each other in different ways depending on how they are appliedand glued together before they are bent round the scrap-tobacco, themachine may be advantageously be provided, in front of the conveyingbelt, with a guiding plate for the binder strip and a guiding plate forthe wrapper strip, at least one of said guiding plates being mounted forhorizontal adjustment at right angles to the direction of movement ofthe conveying belt. in order to fix the relative positions of the twostrips before they are bent to make an envelope a glueing device adaptedto supply one of the two strips of sheet material locally with glue onthe side facing the other strip of sheet material may be mounted in therod producing machine in front of the conveying belt.

The invention also relates to cigars manufactured by the methodsaccording to the present invention. For the elucidation of the inventionreference is made to the drawing. Therein is: 7 FIG. 1 a front elevationof a rod producing machine according to the invention; FIG. 2 a planview on a somewhat larger scale of a piece of binder strip lying on apiece of wrapper strip; F IG. 3 a cross sectional view of the two stripsshown in H6.

2 and bent round a filler of scrap tobacco;

F IG. 4 a plan view on a somewhat larger scale of a piece of.

binder strip lying in a different way on a piece of wrapper strip;

FIG. 5 a cross sectional view of the two strips shown in FIG. 4 and bentround a filler of scrap-tobacco; Y

FIG. 6 a plan view on a somewhat larger scale of a piece of binder striplying in a third way on a piece of wrapper strip; and

FIG. 7 a cross sectional view of the two strips shown in FIG.

6 and bent round a filler of scrap-tobacco.

In the drawing (FIG. 1) A is a scrap-tobacco feeding device, B are meansfor bending and glueing two strips of band-tobacco round the filler ofscrap-tobacco and C is a cutting device.

The scrap-tobacco feeding device A is adapted to deposit thescrap-tobacco either in an uninterrupted flow, as is known in machinesfor the manufacture of cigarettes, or in measured, if desired preformed,portions, as is known in the machines for the individual manufacture ofcigar bunches, onto a longitudinally moved strip of binder tobaccomaterial 1 of unlimited length for the binder of the cigars to bemanufactured. This binder strip 1, which is drawn from a reel 2 ismoved, together with and lying on a strip of wrapper tobacco material 4of unlimited length coming from a second reel 3 and used for the wrapperof these cigars, by an endless conveying belt 5 first through the saidscrap-tobacco feeding device A to take up the scrap-tobacco andthereupon together with the scraptobacco through the means B, in whichthe binder strip 1 and the wrapper strip 4 are simultaneously bent roundthe scraptobacco. In the device B provided with the means B theenvelopes of material are glued, in such a manner, as to produce a rod 6provided with a closed cylindrical envelope of unlimited length.Thereafter pieces of given length are cut-off from said rod 6 by thecutting device C. By further treatment, say by a pressing operation,said pieces are shaped into cigars ofthe desired shape.

The scrap-tobacco feeding device A, the means B for bending the binderand wrapper strips, the glueing device and the cutting device C arealready used in machines for making cigarettes, in machines for thenormal manufacture of cigars and/or in the known rod producing machinesand they are sufficiently known, so that they will not be describedanymore.

The binder strip 1 and the wrapper strip 4 are first passed over guidingrollers 7, 8, thereupon passed over individual guiding plates 9, 10mounted for horizontal adjustment at right angles to the direction ofmovement of the strips 1,4 and thereafter passed together over theguiding roller 11 of the conveying belt. The guiding plates 9 and 10 areadapted to adjust the binder and wrapper strips in the right relativepositions before they arrive on the conveying belt 5. In order tomaintain these positions with certainty during the further treatment aglueing device is provided which consists ofa trough 12 containing glue13, a roller 14 to take up glue and a roller 15 to give off glue. Bymeans of said glueing device the wrapper strip can be provided eitherwith a dotted line or with an uninterrupted line of glue. If theprovision of glue in advance is not necessary the glueing device 12-15may be omitted.

FIGS. 2-7 illustrate, in which ways the strips of bandtobacco arepreferably formed and positioned one upon the other. In FIGS. 2 and 3the binder strip 16 has a width which is just sufficiently large tosurround the rod of scrap-tobacco 17. Thus, this binder strip has nooverlapping portions and it lies freely round the scrap-tobacco.However, around the binder strip 16 a wrapper strip 18 is bent, of whichthe marginal zones overlap each other and are glued together at 19. Inthis embodiment at the most three layers of band-tobacco come to lie oneach other. The two strips of tobacco material l6, 18 are fed togetherinto the rod producing machine in the manner shown in FIG. 2 and, ifdesired, are glued together by a dotted line ofglue 20 just before theyenter this machine.

When the method shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is carried out the two strips 21and 22 have substantially equal widths and they are just sufficientlywide to surround the rod of scrap-tobacco l7 and said rod enclosed bythe binder strip 21, respectively. Consequently, there are nooverlapping portions, so that the double envelope enclosing the rod ofscrap-tobacco and formed by the binder strip and the wrapper strip hasnowhere more than two layers. The strips 21 and 22 are fed into themachine in transversally shifted positions and they are glued togetherin advance by a first zone of glue 23. After the two strips have beenpartially bent round the scrap-tobacco the second marginal zone 24 ofthe wrapper strip is provided with glue, so that the projecting marginalzone 24 of the wrapper strip 22 can be glued at 25 on the protrudingmarginal zone 26 of the binder strip 21.

Also the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 gives a cigar which isnowhere surrounded by more than two layers of band-tobacco. Therein thebinder strip 27 has such a width as to partially enclose the rod ofscrap tobacco 17 throughout its circumference leaving a gap of givenwidth. The wrapper strip 28 has a width which is sufficient to enclosethe rod of scrap tobacco 17 and the binder strip with overlappingmarginal zones, the width of the overlapping zones being at the mostequal to the width of the gap in the binder strip. The overlappingmarginal zones of the wrapper strip 28 are glued together at 29 and theycome to lie over said gap. Also in this case the two strips of tobaccomaterial 27, 28 may be glued together by a dotted line of glue 30,before they are fed into the rod producing machine, so that they arekept in their relative positions during the bending thereof round thescraptobacco Iclaim:

l. A machine for manufacturing cigars comprising first and second supplymeans for feeding indefinite lengths of binder strip tobacco and wrapperstrip tobacco respectively, each of said strips being of predeterminedwidth, conveyor means for receiving said strips in flat-wisesuperimposed relationship and simultaneously transporting said stripsrelative to the machine, guide means engageable with each of said stripsand adjustably mounted for movement in the direction of the width ofeach strip for presenting said strips to said conveyor means with atleast one longitudinal marginal edge of said wrapper strip exposedbeyond the corresponding edge of said binder strip, a scrap tobaccofeeding device including means for forming compressed scrap tobaccoplugs of predetermined length and depositing the plugs in a compressedstate onto said binder strip with the axes of said plugs substantiallyaligned with one another and extending substantially parallel withlongitudinal axes of said strips, each plug having a circumferentialdimension slightly less than the width of said superimposed strips,means for simultaneously wrapping said superimposed strips transverselyaround said plugs to overlap opposite marginal edges of the superimposedstrips, means for glueing the overlapping marginal zone of said wrapperstrip to the overlapped marginal zone of one of said wrapped strips toform a substantially cylindrical rod of tobacco product includingwrapper and binder strips containing longitudinally aligned plugstherewithin, and cutting means for cutting said rod of tobacco productinto predetermined lengths at points between atljacent lugs.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including additional glueing meanssupplying one face of one of said strips with glue at a point in advanceof said,conveyor means for glueing said strips to one another along theinterface therebetween.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises apair of guiding plates, each of which engages one of said strips at apoint disposed in advance of said conveyor means, at least one of saidplates being mounted for adjustment at substantially right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the associated strip.

